Monarchy
by SaoriMatsu
Summary: An adventure filled with excitement and intensity so monstrous, it was beyond the pale. The Straw Hat pirate's feverish pursuit would bring new light and old foes to her. And those confrontation would never be as envisaged because she is now not alone. This is when the expected becomes unexpected.
1. Prologue: Rendezvous

**Author's Note: As an action story, words would be loaded and exaggerated in context.**

* * *

Prologue: Take The First Step

 _"Life is full of adventure. There's no such thing as a clear pathway."_

 _-Guy Laliberte_

To put it in the most lucid and unequivocal way, she did not intend to continue this over-adventurous "adventure". Then out of the blue she gave out a spontaneous and almost maniacal laugh that successfully caught the attention of a particular crew. "Mako, are you okay?" Usopp tentatively asked. The girl in unsound mind twisted her head to Usopp and gave a roguish grin in response. Usopp shuddered in horror as if he had just witnessed a revenant. Almost with malice aforethought to further petrify the already frightened lamb — ominous clouds enshrouds Thousand Sunny followed by a tumultuous flash of lightning that screams with anguish as it sails through the suddenly grim and desolate area.

"I can't take it anymore! This is a hellhole and Mako is possessed! Save me!" Usopp screamed in defeat whilst trying to locate his crew in hopes of emancipating him from this purgatory. However to his extreme fear, they were nowhere to be found and unfortunately to his dismay, he was left with the still lunatic Mako. _Creak creak creak._ Wide-eyed and stunned, he did not even dare to anticipate what was next to come. If anything, his adroit prophecy would foretell that that is a ghost approaching. To say that Usopp is scared certainly is an understatement.

"I am Usopp. The bravest warrior of the sea! Fear my existence you measly! I am not scared of you… not the slightest bit…"

 _Silence_. Usopp collapsed on his knees to find his feigned act futile – even after much determination for that stout declaration. As every cloud have a silver lining, something was achieved. After Usopp sudden declaration, Mako became conscious of her actions and looked around. "Usopp-san where is everyone and where are we?" She asked all agog for answers but to only be introduced to the dead absence of sound. It was unqualified – no vibration, longitudinal waves were non-existence. _What is happening?_

 _"_ Mako, you finally came back to your senses. Where is everybody? Why is it so quiet? Did you see Usopp-sama great show just now?" Usopp continued with his myriad of stacking questions.

As questions remains unanswered, Usopp and Mako let their mind wonder the enigma but was intercepted when the entire of Thousand Sunny suddenly got glaciated. Mako shivered in the frigid weather and could feel the tip of her nose getting numb.

"What is happening Mako! Luffy and the rest are gone and now this?"

Mako contemplated for a logical definitive explanation. She then became cognizant of the situation and it turned out to be an especially unpropitious and unpleasant one.

"It's Aokiji, he is approaching"

"I thought so too it was all too obvious when ice started to form and Aokiji is the only person I know that can do that" Usopp stuttered through his word professing falsely.

"We can't flee with Thousand Sunny like that. You handle him" Mako said blithely

"What! No way"

Mako still could not apprehend what Aokigi wanted from them. Even with empirical thinking and consideration that Aokiji is retired from the Marines, there was absolutely no reason for his appearance. _This is troubling._ It did not take long before Mako heard the familiar sound of gears whirring and clinking bicycle wheels. And it sounds like trouble.

Mako squint her eye and did a prompt sweep around to discern the location of the impending guest. The vehicle was looming out from the thick fog. _He's here_.

"Sorry to interrupt your time" said in the most relaxed manner.

"He is here! We're dead"

Usopp was literally at the bleak with his theatrical distress. If you look closely enough you could see his soul manifesting itself out from his mouth. Everything was dreadful and beyond hope in his eyes.

"If it isn't Mako"

Scrunching her nose and frowning in utter suspicion, she smiled. Taking small steps, deep breaths, and silent prayers to no one — as she was agonist — she questioned him.

"What are you doing here?"

"Mere coincidence I guess?"

Rhetorical or not, his cavalier attitude was exceedingly irritating — a cat could even kill itself. Mako would certainly be incandescent if another apathetic answer comes out from that infernal nuisance. But what would she do? She was certainly unprepared and to her left was an obviously defeated Usopp. But before anymore apprehension, voices spoke out.

"Well don't be so uptight. I was just passing on a warning that beyond us is something ghastly that surpasses everything else."

Her slim fingers touch her chin whilst looking at the unexpected guest, she gave a sigh. As much as she wishes to be in Usopp current position, she had no choice but to persist with this riveting subject. But she sighed in ambivalence. _It will be another adventure._ She was not too penchant in exploits but the thrill and triumph was far too great to avoid. With her arms and legs unclenched, she did a languid gyration – swirling and twirling like the famous painting, Starry Night, the sky eddying in the landscape. At the standpoint of a mere stranger, she might have looked eminently drunk. It would certainly be no surprise if her erratic behaviour is accidentally misconstrued by passersby.

"By the way, I saw your friends on another pirate's deck going that way." He sluggishly points at a caliginous gorge ahead.

 _Kidnapped?_

As worrying as it should be, the Straw Hat Pirates were indeed pirates with a preposterous amount of money above their head and they were obviously bound to be kidnapped. The situation would not have sounded grave but since the information was directly from Kuzan himself, the predicament must have been a verified one.

She was sore concerned for the Straw Hat Pirates but she knew they were formidable. Nevertheless, the ships trajectory to the unfamiliar location ahead unsettled her. It looked dingy and mirthless. It was a perversion from reality; it gave an impression of a horror film – terrifying and gruesome. The portentous signs were evident that clemency was not tolerated.

Adjusting her outer coat and scratching her head, she looked across to be disappointed. Usopp was sprawled out on the deck, face as pallid and raw-boned as a cadaver. Mako was definitely inadequately prepared for the abomination ahead.


	2. Chapter 1: Consignment

**_Author's Note_** : **UK English is used in the entire chapters.  Rated T for explicit language, however it would be moderated. **

**Words would be exaggerated and loaded in accordance to context. **

* * *

**Chapter One: Consignment**

"I was sure it was this way"

Eyes blazing with vacillating certainty and doubt, the green-headed samurai took another turn. As he scuttles, his hair analogous to the lush verdant dale was flowing with the cool breeze going back and forth in an idyllic fashion. However, that tranquillity is only figmental to Zoro's disgruntled countenance.

As hour passed, Zoro was now at an uncannily identical location from the one before — the picturesque coastline. Zoro controverted. He refused to acknowledge his unfavorable "knack" for direction. Still tirelessly determined, he adeptly placed his hands on the hilt of the katana, readily ready to slice through his impediment.

 _This should do the job_.

"Mama, look at that crazy guy! He actually thinks he can cut the beach in half"

Yes, as absurd as it may sound the daft man was indeed confident of his abilities. Too confident. But when that childish pillory was oriented towards him, it ruffled his feathers. His veins of evident pique were popping from his forehead. Yet he could slightly feel his flight-or-flight response triggering off spontaneously, the vasodilation was causing his blood to flow to his cheek. Not liking the kid's foolish but true utterance, he glowered at him. The minor cowered and shrieked in sheer trepidation.

What the kid just witness was as inerasable as an indelible ink. The guy he initially thought as an idiot was in actuality a demon. He shivered in fear as he remembered the dark and baleful ambience surrounding him that in probability could instigate catastrophe or much worst, a ceaseless nightmare.

After the view of the boy disappears through the crowd, Zoro felt a great sensation of satisfaction. However, his delight was short lived when a redoubtable surge of familiarity overwhelmed him. It was so potent and obvious what or rather who was coming; always inadvertently making his arrival so conspicuous and repulsive.

On full attention – hands on the hilt of his katana – he stepped forward getting hot on trot. Unfortunately, he found it quite taxing to maintain serious with the dreadful gelid temperature. He then succumbed to the coldness because his physical body could not uphold to the sudden change of temperature. Zoro cussed to himself.

 _Why am I so weak to the cold? Even after Punk Hazard…_

In his mind full of complains, he did not even realise the unexpected guest was already approaching him. Snapping of his incautious wool-gathering, he unleashed his daito katanas from the scabbard, and drawing his swords towards Aokigi in swift motion to halt him.

"What does the marine want from us?" Zoro commanded with an unwavering tone whilst attacking in full force.

Aokiji on the other side was on variance with Zoro seriousness. Only making the most infinitesimal maneuver he easily repelled Zoro's onslaught. With the disposition of a placid loch, he froze Zoro. Ice was slowly climbing up Zoro's body him – encumbering him – then the speed proliferated and it ice-bounded him from his feet to his shoulders.

Zoro indignantly writhe in the icy surrounding. Writhing and writhing to no avail.

"Calm down, I'm no longer in the Marines."

In his current position, Zoro could only look at him in skepticism. No way could he trust him, it will be the end of the world if he even had a little credence for him. Zoro spat on the innocent ground with distaste.

 _Then why is he here?_

"Just delivering something." Aokiji rejoined immediately almost as if he had heard his query.

The unwanted company then whistled with his fingers signaling something. And that something was a penguin, a massive one. It has dark blue with a white lining around its face. The body is white bordered and the belly is white which has a similar to lace gradient. It has a long, narrow pink beak (and yellow towards the mouth) that curves on the tip. The penguin shuffled towards Aokiji.

As soon as the penguin settled beside his companion, Aokiji started to delve through his haversack which the penguin was carrying. The haversack was so big Aokiji was literally foraging in the jungle. His hands finally reaching the item of objective, he gave a relieved exhale.

Zoro was watching every movement that Aokiji made and, when Aokiji approached him with a book-sized jar he was at loss of words. The jar was normal. He looked at him puzzlingly. It was neither menacing nor anything he originally conjectured. His head was twirling in a vortex for all the possibilities of what that innocuous, plain looking water might be.

As Aokiji kneeled down to place the suspicious jar of water in front of him, Zoro tenaciously tightened his grasp on his katana and closed his eyes to concentrate all his resolve. He opened his eyes and with enough strength, he was able to move his muscle. In one swift motion, he sliced through the piercing frigid confinement. Zoro smirked in delight as he saw the momentarily pure astonishment from Aokiji. Quickly wiping away his smile, he pointed his katana towards him.

"I told you I'm no longer with the Marines. Put the hostility away"

"Then what is in the jar" Zoro asked with his katana still at the same position.

As Aokiji stood up from his kneeling position, Zoro realised how fearsome he looked with his tall figure towering his contrastingly miniscule figure. He faltered slightly. If Zoro was not armed, Aokiji would have effortlessly exterminated him like a monster with unabated rage stomping on a quiet library mouse.

"This jar is as precious as your nakama."

Zoro quirked his eyebrows. _Is he serious?_

"And I am entrusting this to the Straw Hat Pirates."

Those words sounded too inconceivable and ludicrous for Zoro to imbibe. The Straw Hat Pirates in his mind is probably the most negligent and carefree crew in the sea – largely due to their captain. They are also the most unpredictable. He could not help but to feel his apprehension increase exponentially. Before he could decline his sudden consignment, Aokiji was already walking away. Just then, Aokiji made a final statement.

"If anything were to happen to the contents of the jar, I would without hesitation, start a war." Zoro could not see his face but he knew that he was serious. He could feel the palpable force of oppression. He could only gulp in consternation as he watches his departing figure.

 _Then why did he even want to give it to us?_

Frowning and hands slowly approaching the jar, he contemplated in his most logical mind, _what could be in the jar?_

Inchmeal, another dilemma arise to Zoro. He was still lost.

"Where the hell is that bloody moss-ball!" Sanji punched the table in annoyance.

Nose flaring with bile and impatience, legs tapping on the ground, vociferating incoherent expletives and hands flapping about doing unnecessary damage to the restaurant, he was a cacophony. Patrons fearfully, peer towards the noisy troublemaker to only regret as they were met with eyes apoplectic with rage.

"Shut up you idiot!" Nami endured but was finally on the edge with his confounded nuisance.

"Anything for my Nami-swannn." Sanji joyously said in a sing song manner.

"But he is indeed taking a long time." Robin pondered.

"Don't worry its Zoro. Nothing bad will happen to him." Luffy gave an ebullient reply while noshing up his humongous set of meal. "Plus Chopper went to find him."

Robin smiled as the captain gave a reassuring lopsided smile.

"He was supposed to find Trafalgar-san and in the end Trafalgar-san came here before him, intriguing, more intriguing then my missing eyeballs" Brook laughed endlessly.

Three tables away from them were the Heart Pirates watching their behaviour from afar. Law could almost feel his head bursting as he observes the raucous butch making fools of themselves. Even being in the same restaurant, he felt empathically ashamed. He is even contradicting if his alliance with the Straw Hat Pirates was the right advance.

He continued to consume his meal as he remembered that they had undeniably helped him defeat his sworn enemy – Donquixote Doflamingo – and more importantly, avenged the death of Corazon.

His attention then shifted to the arrival of the green-headed samurai and anthropomorphic reindeer. And as he has predicted, the casanova kicks the samurai but not as expected was the unsettling demeanour that the samurai evinced.

Zoro told his fellow crewmember the entire detail of what he had previously encountered; Aokiji and the mysterious jar. As the other crew was listening attentively with heedful ears, a certain mischievous rubber boy cautiously approached the jar. Law could also feel as rapt as that rubber boy after briefly hearing the intriguing story.

"Captain, where are you going?" Penguin enquired

His lips started to pull up into a cheeky smirk. "To our allies."

"O-okay"

He was making his way through the tables of chattering groups with his usual grumpy countenance that seems otherwise to his opposing excited and inquisitive grin hidden behind his façade. His seeking would then soon be interrupted by a warmongering loud gunfire. With the single pull of the trigger, the frequent patrons immediately turned silent, their breaths halted and hearts dangerously close to shutting down.

"We are the Moana Pirates! I am the captain, Dale Walters. I have a 100,000,000 bounty above my head, so give me all your money and anything else worth of money or else…" he shot a fire to a beer bottle straight in the middle. "Your destiny will be mine" he cackled presumptuously.

Frightened customers quickly stumbled through their purses and pockets for all their cashes and jewelries to hand it over to the nefarious pirates. The snotty pirate then laid eyes on two groups of relaxed customers. His eyes widened as he realised who they were but he continued with a smirk.

"Monkey D. Luffy, Trafalgar Law and Roronoa Zoro the worst generation, what a coincidence"

Three of them looked up as Dale approached them with two flintlock pistols pointing threateningly towards them.

"I don't know you though" Luffy smiled casually with his hands still on the jar.

Dale's eyebrows tweaked in annoyance and shot impulsively to the jar.

" **AH!** "

Law and the Straw Hat Pirates could only look at the shattering fragments of glass fall in swivel-eyed panic.

 _He's going to start a war on us._

Before you can say Jack Robinson, Zoro was already tackling Dale with full force and frustration. And as expected, Dale went down. All of the Moana Pirates gasped in horror after witnessing their captain ignominious downfall. They trembled as they accidentally made contact with Zoro's splenetic eyes. Apprehending their mistake for provoking them, they hastily supported their captain out of the restaurant of savagery.

The restaurant customers were also escaping out of the restaurant after what they have went through and seen.

The Straw Hat Pirates could not care less for their situation as their eyes were all on the broken jar and the spilled water.

"Zoro, what is going to happen to us now?" Usopp bites the inside of his cheek as he waits for his answer.

"Die."

It has not even been an hour since Aokiji had entrusted this to them and it is already shattered and beyond hopes. As the other crew was getting neurotic, Law cautiously place his hands on the fragments and scrutinised it in deep thought.

"You idiot, why didn't you protect the jar? Didn't you hear Zoro saying that it was 'as precious as your nakama?" Nami berated Luffy as she used her index finger to profusely poke the thick skull of his.

"Sorry…" Luffy sat down on the floor with legs crossed and then he ruefully grinned to Nami hoping that he would be forgiven but was only to be met with a strong force aiming directly to his head. Nami huffed and blew her knuckles as she watches Luffy flying figure.

Law frowned at the ruckus and shifted his attention back to analyse the mysterious liquid. His eyes widened slightly as an inexplicable change happened to the water. The clear transpicuous water was gradually changing into a cochineal shade of colour. Law touched the liquid with his index figure and licked his figure to clarify his suspicions.

 _This is…_

"Ah! Your hand is turning red!" Usopp screamed to Luffy.

"Really?" Luffy excitedly exclaimed while looking at his hands in awe.

"But he's not bleeding" Franky stated.

"It's the water from the jar."

"What are you saying Tra-guy? The water is bleeding? You're so stupid."

Law tightened his fist and retorted back. "The blood is the water. It changed"

Everybody eyed on the spilled patch of blood on the floor to only be astonished by the blood paroxysm. The red liquid was vibrating uncontrollably, with occasional coagulating then liquefying. The blood on Luffy's hand suddenly swirled in the air to the patch of unruly blood as if it got magnetized by it.

As Law was assimilating the happenings, he was yet again amazed when the liquid started to do a metamorphosis.

Even the smartest of all scientists or an omniscient person would not be able to comprehend this bizarre phenomenon. The two pirate crews were seeing something they evidently never seen before. What they saw in front of them was the swarm of water that transformed into girl.

 _So this is the thing that is more precious than anything huh?_


End file.
